Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Klepopisa.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Klepopisaxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a product of a mutation induction breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.
The new Poinsettia originated by exposing cuttings of the Poinsettia cultivar Kleposan, not patented, to X-ray radiation in Stuttgart, Germany. After the radiation treatment, cuttings were planted and flowered. The cultivar Klepopisa was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant in 1997. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings taken at Stuttgart, Germany since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Klepopisaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Klepopisaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Poinsettia cultivar:
1. Uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Medium green-colored leaves with green-colored petioles.
3. Pink-colored flower bracts.
4. Early flowering; response time, about 7.5 weeks.
5. Good post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the parent, the cultivar Kleposan, in flower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar Kleposan have red-colored flower bracts.
Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the cultivar KLEW01052, U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently, in flower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar KLEW01052 have pink and white bi-colored flower bracts.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar 15-84, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,310. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the cultivar 15-84 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered about four days earlier than plants of the cultivar 15-84.
2. Flower bract coloration of plants of the new Poinsettia was more uniform than flower bract coloration of plants of the cultivar 15-84.